


Whatever it Takes

by LanxBorealis



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Al has his body, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Crossover, Dark Edward Elric, Drama, Edward Elric Swears, Family Feels, Gen, Hogwarts, Magic, Memory Loss, Misunderstandings, Moral Ambiguity, No Alchemy, No pairings - Freeform, Philosopher's Stone(s), Restored Alphonse Elric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2019-10-21 07:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17638748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LanxBorealis/pseuds/LanxBorealis
Summary: Four years. It had taken four years for Edward to have a chance to get his brother back. And now that it laid beneath the palms of his hands, he wouldn't let it slip through his fingers. No matter the sacrifice, no matter what it took, he would get Al back.





	1. Do or Die

**Whatever it Takes**

_A Fullmetal Alchemist 2003/Harry Potter Crossover_

By Lanx Borealis

~~0~~0~~0~~

**Chapter One: Do or Die**

Laboratory 5 was the  _exact_ lead Edward had been yearning for.

For four years, four long and lonely years, he had clawed at any scrap of information about the Philosopher's Stone. After turning in illegible report after illegible report to Mustang for his failures, he finally caught onto something  _real._

Something  _tangible._ It hung at his fingertips, a breadth of a hair away. If he twitched his fingers, they would touch greatness. Godhood. His goal.

_His resolve._

If he twitched his fingers, they would press against the massive transmutation circle below him. Everything he had worked for, everything he had  _promised,_ would come to fruition.

And yet, he hesitated. Whether this hesitation emerged from whatever humanity he could claim he still retained or paralyzing excitement, Edward didn't know.

"Do it, boy!" That mad, insane voice from the homunculus known as Envy rang in his ears, rattled his insides. "Hurry up!"

Edward tore his gaze away from the oh so beautiful and perfect circle up toward the group of prisoners.

They stood huddled inside, pressing against one another tightly, as if numbers alone could save them. The stench of unadulterated fright choked him. It filled his lungs, his belly, and his soul.

"I thought you wanted to see your  _brother_ again. Isn't that what you want, Fullmetal pipsqueak?"

Edward's head jerked at that, and he shot Envy a pointed and heated glare. He kept his lips pressed into a tight line, however. He didn't deign the monster towering above him a response.

He still hesitated, his hands hovering above the circle. They shook slightly. Edward then dully realized he couldn't even feel the pains of his previous battle anymore.

The sounds of the shuffling prisoners overpowered Envy's horrible voice. He rose his eyes yet again to the prisoners.

Edward's dull gaze focused on one, the only one standing calm in the pool of fear. Narrowed icy eyes regarded him coolly. No terror emitted from him. Despite his mangy, black hair hanging in his face, Edward could still see his expression.

_If you're going to do it kid, do it. Don't just crouch there, with a threat in the palm of your hand. Do, or die._

And that was it, wasn't it? Either he did what he had swore to himself he would do- _no matter what-_ or he'd die.

And he, Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, didn't  _do_ dying.

Edward slapped his palms down.

~~0~~0~~0~~

Alphonse Elric yawned into his hand. With the sun streaming in from the bare window above him, bathing him in soothing yellow light, he found himself succumbing to the warmth of sleep.

He blinked his amber-colored eyes awake, forcing his gaze back down to his summer studies. Despite how  _interesting_ the properties of belladonna was in the art of potion making, Al found himself  _really_ not caring about it at that exact moment.

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Between the ruckus of the orphanage and the nosiness of the muggles he lived with, Al  _never_ had time to complete his homework.

And now, with the  _perfect opportunity,_ he was falling asleep right on his parchment!

Rather than continue writing his essay on the deeper and more complicated usage of common materials, Al instead found himself absently doodling little circles around the edges of his parchment. Without much thought, he added a second, smaller circle. He fit a small rhombus inside the smaller circle and overlaid all three shapes with a square.

The old image brought a sad smile to Al's lips. He sighed to himself. Four years ago, in a different place and a different time, such a little circle would have had  _power._

Now, all it was, was a ink circle. Still, Al pressed his thumbs against the tiny circle. He stared for a long moment at the stark black ink, willing for the crackles of alchemy to emerge from the catalyst.

Of course, absolutely nothing happened. From outside, a girl screeched. She screamed at someone for pushing her into mud during play.

Groaning to himself, Al  _finally_ admitted to himself he would get nothing done in the state he just put himself in, and pushed his essay away. Instead, he stood to glance out the window. Rather than staring down at the younger children caught up in their games, his sight roamed the skies.

However, besides fat pigeons, no other birds stretched across the yawning blue. A little disappointment dampened him, but Al reminded himself that Germany was quite a flight away from England, and that he had sent his owl out merely a few  _days_ ago.

Because for his next school year, Alphonse Elric wasn't going to Durmstrang. No, instead he'd be traveling across the sea, all the way to  _Hogwarts._

At least, if he got accepted, that is.

With a flutter of doubt in his heart, Al stood up. After tucking all his studies away neatly beneath the faux bottom of his dresser, he returned to sitting beneath the sun at his desk.

With only the firmament watching him, Al doodled transmutation circle after transmutation circle until his head found the cradle of his arms.

~~0~~0~~0~~

A poignant tap at the window awoke Al.

He groaned as he sat up, his thin shoulders stiff. He blinked down at the drool that had leaked onto his desk. With a small blush, he wiped his mouth before wiping the table.

Another tap broke Al from his grogginess. Stretching his arms high over his head, he peered up at the graying barn owl sitting on the windowsill outside. It's pale yellow eyes glowed like twin moons in the darkening night.

The sight of the owl gave Al all the energy he needed to wake up fully. With a gasp of surprise, Al shot to his feet. After fiddling with the lock on the window, Al  _finally_ pushed it up high enough with a grunt for the owl to hop inside.

"Sorry!" Al apologized to the fluffed bird. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon…."

The owl peered up at Al with an ethereal, yet bored gaze. With a flap of its wings, which sent the cup holding Al's writing utensils crashing to the floor, it proffered its letter to the young boy.

Al's eyes shone with excitement, and in that moment he forgot about his pencils and pens rolling around on the floor as he accepted the letter.

"T- thank you!" Al squeaked.

Without awaiting an answer from him, the owl squirmed back through the window, and took flight. It disappeared among the gathering shadows and gloom in the sky.

Too full of energy to even  _think_ about sitting down, Al flipped the thick letter with his name printed on it over. The envelope was sealed shut with a massive purple coat-of-arms displaying a badger, a lion, a snake, and an eagle.

Even if the letter  _didn't_ say it was from  _Hogwarts,_ Al would've known by the seal alone. Fetching his letter opener from where it had fallen among his pens and pencils, Al made quick work getting it open.

For the first time, a little trepidation crept into his veins. His hands shook, but he didn't allow his doubts to voice any of their thoughts as he began reading:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

_Dear Mr. Elric,_

_We are pleased to inform you that, after reviewing your accomplishments at Durmstrang, have approved your transfer request to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment for a fourth year._

_We will provide you transportation to England a week before the start of the semester. Please have yourself ready before then._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress_

Al's cheeks hurt with the force of his grin. He read the letter three more times, a huge bubble of enthusiasm in his throat. He softly cheered to himself, not wanting any of the other children interrupting his moment.

Tucking the first letter back into the envelope, Al peered down at the list of his required supplies.

_UNIFORM_

_Fourth-year students will require:_

_1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

_Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

_COURSE BOOKS_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Intermediate Transfiguration by Faye Chalks_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_Ancient Runes Made Easy by Laurenzoo_

_Rune Dictionary by Laurenzoo & Acacia Crabapple_

_OTHER EQUIPMENT_

_1 wand_  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales

_Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

Besides the robes and a couple of the textbooks, Al already had everything he could possibly need. Without a thought, he slipped his hand under his desk, where he kept his wand hidden.

Along with his two letters, a golden ticket to a platform numbered 9¾ and an official note that would allow him to use the school's Gringotts bank for his supplies was also included. Making sure everything he had pulled out to read over went back into the envelope, Al tucked it away along with his other wizarding supplies at the bottom of his wardrobe.

After picking up everything that had fallen to the floor, Al sat back down at his desk.

In a week's time, a representative from Hogwarts would come to fetch him and take him across the ocean to England. And in two weeks time, he would be starting a new semester at a new school.

Al wouldn't lie to himself; he supposed he would miss a few of his professors from Durmstrang and perhaps even a couple of his peers. But Al  _knew_ Hogwarts was the destination his future was guiding him too. There, he would regain what he had lost.

With that precious thought calming him, Al took his leave downstairs for dinner.

~~0~~0~~0~~

_Next Chapter: A Sin Forgiven by Sin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hullo! I wasn't really planning on writing another FMA/HP crossover... or well, a new multichaptered fanfiction in general! But I got some Ideas and Started Thinking and you know how bad Thinking can be. I ended up scribbling stuff down... and now I have an entire outline for this fic, a general direction, and a general ending already planned out. As you do. Now I just got to write the damn thing.
> 
> If I am being honest, this entire fic is super self-indulgent on my part. It's also a writing exercise that I am doing.
> 
> See, thing is, I tend to be an overwriter, which means I tend to overwrite scenes and make them a lot longer than they have to be. Case in point is my contemporary novel I am trying to write. In The Industry, contemporary novels are usually around 350 pages long... sometimes 400. Now, while writing the first draft of my novel, the first 13 chapters (out of (now) 39...) turned out to be over 150 pages long, which is almost half the word count of a typical contemporary. Of course, word count shouldn't matter... except if you're a debut author in The Industry it kinda does. Word count is important in the sense of "is what you're writing important? Does every word have some sort of meaning to the story?" And I can write an entire essay on word count, and I am not going to. My point is, I tend to overwrite. Badly. It's a bad habit. I have a lot of bad writing habits. This story is going to be me trying to break these habits!
> 
> Which means: Short chapters (Like, less than 3,000 words long), less dialogue tags, less wordy sentences, and a slightly modified style to try and retain my usual flowery-ness I have. (and keep myself out of purple prose... I don't want to fall into that hellhole!) among other things! I am trying to improve my writing and break it into the bare bones of what it is.
> 
> Another reason why I decided to write this is, of course, that sweet sweet sense of Validation only strangers on the internet can give you. I like sharing my writing with people and like people telling me they like what I got and want more. I'm selfish like that, what can I say?
> 
> Anyways, this is (probably) going to be the longest A/N of this dumb fic. If you have any questions or concerns, just ask!
> 
> Thank y'all for suffering through this lengthy A/N! And thank you for reading this short, first chapter! I already have some chapters typed up, so I will try and post a chapter every time I get two new chapters written up. That way, I can stay a couple chapters ahead of what's posted just in case.
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. And although I will never hold fics hostage for either... they do make me wanna write more. Just sayin'!


	2. A Sin Forgiven by Sin

** Chapter Two: A Sin Forgiven by Sin **

Edward would never forget those screams. He'd never forget the way the light blinded his eyes, consuming every sense he had.

He'd never forget the feeling of  _pure_ and  _raw_ power in the palms of his mismatched hands. It pumped like a frenzied, dying heart in his palm. Horror, suffering, the  _human condition_ itself condensed into raw  _energy._

Life. Life that took nine months to create and not even a second to take away pulsed in his hand.

The red light cast from the tanks lining the room, lining the circle, now held nothing. Not a single drop of red water clung to their insides. The homunculi and Edward's twisted reflections were cast back at them.

No other beings stood in the room with them. And where the prisoners once stood, Edward was alone, with four years of work in the palm of his hand.

The tiny, opaque stone was barely the size of the tip of his pinky. In the wake of gasps and screams of pain and fear, silence reigned.

Edward stretched his hearing out, desperate to listen in to any noise from the stone itself. Besides the dizzying buzz of power that radiated in Edward's bones, he heard nothing.

He wasn't even sure if that buzzing was real, anyways. Perhaps he was finally losing the last dregs of his mind.

"I did it," he whispered, more to himself than the homunculi prowling around him. He clenched the stone in his fist, and cradled his clenched hand close to his heart. "I-"

"Yes, you did." Even Lust couldn't keep her suave voice calm. Her words trembled, just as her shoulders did. She held out her hand, but palm down. Her nails grew longer, sharper. "Now, do what you promised to do. Make us  _human!"_ she hissed.

Edward peered up at her. Lust's odd, purple eyes bored into him, unblinkling, with not an ounce of trust in them.

Gluttony stumbled after her, pressing into her hip, grabbing the end of her dress like a child would. "Are we going to be human now, Lust? Are we?"

Lust didn't bother Gluttony with even a glance. "Of course, Gluttony. Isn't that right, boy?"

Edward swung himself around, narrowly dodging the kick aimed at the small of his back. He grit his teeth, catching himself on the balls of his feet, and narrowed his intense eyes at Envy.

"Envy!" Lust called out. "What are you doing? He needs to turn us human first before-"

"Oh,  _please._ Maybe  _you_ and that  _fat oaf_ want to be human, but honestly, I think being  _human_ is overrated. Besides, Dante can make you human. You don't need this  _pipsqueak-"_ Envy launched another dizzying kick at Edward, one he was just barely able to dodge.

"And besides, this  _bastard_ hasn't had a good enough beating yet." A snarl ripped from Envy's throat; a sound of pure and utter loathing.

Edward grunted, black spots dancing in his eyes. The entire, blurry world tilted and spun around him like a hurricane. He gritted his jaw so hard, he thought he might crack his teeth.

He had to  _do_ something. If he didn't….

But Edward's mind  _reeled._ The prisoners had  _just been there,_ standing where  _he was standing._ They had just  _been_ there. Only moments ago-or maybe it was longer than that-he had been staring into one of their  _eyes._

Just… moments ago. Now he stood where they stood. Now, they were clutched in the palm of his hand.

And power still buzzed in his bones, emitting from his hand. It soaked into his blood, filling him with whispers of unknown promises.

Four years ago, he said he'd get his hands on the Philosopher's Stone,  _no matter what._

And now he has it, he committed the  _terrible_ crime he  _had to,_ that he was  _warned about,_ and yet….

Monsters still surrounded him. He added to their ranks. Edward grinned, a bark of hysterical laughter filling his gullet.

Monsters fighting monsters all over a little rock made of blood, bone, and life.

Edward dodged another kick from Envy. He couldn't catch his feet. Edward fell hard to the floor.

Lust advanced, but not toward him. Her lengthened, sharpened claws tried to pierce where Envy had just been towering above him. Envy deftly backflipped away. His purple eyes shone with madness… and excitement. "Stop it now, Envy!"

"Hey! We're on the  _same side!"_ Envy roared at her, but that didn't stop him from charging her. He raised his fist.

Lust ducked under the swing. "I could say the same to you." She clawed at his sternum, peeling away long strips of flesh. Blood gushed out. Envy didn't even clutch the wound as his skin stitched itself back together.

As the two homunculi battled, neither noticed Edward scooting away from them. His back hit the base of one of the massive, towering tubes. He panted, frustrated that nothing but exhaustion filled him. His wounds with the Slicer still throbbed and ached.

Edward gulped. The power still buzzed. He hadn't forgotten. But  _using_ the stone… actually… he could heal himself. He could get his brother back. Right now. Right this second he  _could_ see Al again. Then, he could use the stone to get them out of Laboratory 5.

He could- could  _kill_ Lust. Envy. Gluttony. Because that's what monsters did,  _right?_ Fight over a scrap of power and  _killed._

And that's what he was now. Just like Lust. Envy. Gluttony. A monster.

Edward almost screamed. He wished he could stab himself through with his own automail blade.  _I already_ KNEW  _I was a monster!_ his thoughts yelled.  _I've already taken a life! This isn't the first time. You're in the_ military,  _goddammit!_

So, opening his jaws wide, Edward swallowed the Philosopher's Stone.

A flash of blood-red light interrupted Envy and Lust's fight. With bruises patterning her skin, and alchemic light still sewing Envy's ripped face back together, both homunculi turned toward the source.

"Don't you even  _think_ about it, pipsqueak!" Envy roared. "You're not going  _anywhere-!"_

"Wait! We had a  _deal!"_ Lust screeched.

By the time either homunculi reached where Edward had once sat, he was long gone through the Gate.

~~0~~0~~0~~

White. The world was as white as it was empty. Save for his own breathing and palpitating heart, Edward couldn't hear a single other sound. To waver too long in such a silent world would drive him mad, but luckily he wasn't anywhere he hadn't been before.

And indeed, the whiteness-so stark it burned his retinas-was familiar.

Sweat traced down his spine in a lazy river. His muscles, still tense and ready for a blow that would never come, ached.

A single voice echoing the timeless sound of humanity greeted him. Amusement danced and swirled in its distorted tone.

" _Welcome back, Mr. Al-che-mist!"_ The voice of Truth reverberated around him, digging into his insides, and stripping him bare.

A chill not brought by the temperature pricked gooseflesh along Edward's flesh arm.

"I have it, Truth!" Edward's clenched fists shook, but even he didn't dare to step closer to the white being sitting several feet from where he stood. It still had his arm and leg in its possession. "I have my payment," he growled a little quieter. With the stone currently sitting in the pit of his stomach, Edward had nothing to outwardly show the Truth. Still, he stood, still as a monolith, glaring at Truth's too-wide and too-amused grin.

" _I see you do!"_ the Truth said with a bubbling laugh and sardonic cheer. " _So, Mr. Al-che-mist, will you be using that stone of yours? Using those human lives to achieve your goals?"_

Edward narrowed his eyes. He could finish Truth's taunts in his head;  _climb over those you used to selfishly heal your own sins?_

Could his sin even be paid- _forgiven-_ with another sin? Edward already knew the answer, but if he broke down now, stopped to really  _think_ for even a second, he knew all his work would be gone. Wasted.

And besides, he had already made his choice. And you can't bring the dead back to life.

Edward hesitated, but his intense voice, colder than he had ever heard it before, still rang out. "Yes."

The Truth cocked its head to the side. It had no eyes, no real defining features to speak of, and yet  _somehow_ Edward could sense its disappointment radiating from the being. It consumed him.

" _I see."_

The creak of the Gate behind Edward rattled him. He spun on his toes, staring up at the sticky, inky blackness beyond. "What-"

Truth's cold voice rang out behind him. " _You say you will be using the stone, but I can sense your hesitation, Mr. Al-che-mist."_

From that darkness, long hands stretched toward him. Edward tried to will his feet to move, to get out of the way from the reach of that great, dark beyond. But he couldn't move an inch.

Those hands, so cold and slick, gripped his arms and legs. They dragged him forward. They dragged him toward the Gate.

Edward screamed in fear. "No! This- this shouldn't be happening! I have the stone! I have the payment to bring my brother  _back!"_ Edward swung his head around, his messy braid whipping his own cheeks. "Al! Alphonse! Where are you?!" Because Al couldn't be dead. Truth had him. Truth  _had_ to have him. Because if he didn't… that would mean….

His arms passed over the threshold.

" _Your brother isn't here. He hasn't been here since the day you attempted the forbidden, Mr. Al-che-mist."_

A hollowness seeped into Edward. His stiff body fell limp. His struggles against those tugging hands melted away.

He barely caught a glimpse of Truth-the disappointed  _Truth-_ behind him.

" _You yearn to see your brother, so you shall. You yearn to have answers about monsters. Perhaps you will find them on The Other Side."_

The Other Side? Edward's head spun. The great doors of the Gate creaked closed.

"Wait! What- what do you mean?" Edward cried out one last time.

Truth's grin fell. The whiteness bleeding from the crack of the Gate's doors grew smaller and smaller.

" _If you and your brother somehow come back, let me know how it is over there,"_ was Truth's mocking reply.

The Gate closed, trapping Edward inside the sticky, inky blackness.

Edward screamed.

~~0~~0~~0~~

_Next Chapter:_ _Impossibility isn't Impossible_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came out pretty fast but as I said, I am trying to keep 2 chapters ahead of the current one posted. As soon as I get the next two chapters written up, I'll post the third chapter!
> 
> Thank y'all for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, and don't forget to bookmark and follow this story as well if you please~


	3. Impossibility isn't Impossible

**Chapter Three: Impossibility isn't Impossible**

A few nights later found Al sitting on his bed, his trunk already packed, unable to sit still. Outside, the young night grew older as the moon crept along the silky sky toward its apex.

With his belly full of, admittedly poor, but warm dinner, Al kept one of his old textbooks propped on his legs. Although his eyes scanned over the words, they were already well-loved, and thus Al didn't have to utilize much of his brain power to understand the complex theorems woven in front of him.

He sighed, a small smile tugging his lips. Perhaps Wizarding England would have books that had the answers to his questions that had been plaguing him for four years.

Specifically, spells that could revive  _utterly eradicated_ memories….

Al shook his head, a frown tugging his lips. Even after four years and going through every method he  _knew,_ the exact details of his past remained clouded in a fog….

However, there were three  _truths-_

Al, unbeknownst to himself, twitched at  _that word._

-that he knew to be real.

Al turned the page of his book. He stared at the words, identifying their meaning, but not truly comprehending and understanding what they said in that moment.

One: He came from far,  _far_ away.

Two: He once had a family. A loving family. A family that was  _gone._

Three: One is All, All is One. Alchemy.

Al roamed his mind for  _any_ memories as to where he came from, as he did every night. As he kept turning the pages of his book, his mind grasped for memories that were no longer there.

He struggled to trick his brain into giving him a least a  _little_ of what he desired. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine scents or sensations or  _anything at all_ to trigger some memory from  _before_ he was 10….

But, of course, there was nothing. Nothing at all. He couldn't even grasp onto the name of whatever his  _hometown_ had been.

Or, maybe he lived in a city. Or maybe even some  _nameless_ place. Al hoped where he hailed from had a proper name.

Caught up in his own thoughts and the monotone sound of page after page turning, Al  _nearly_ missed the sudden reek of  _ozone_ suddenly surrounding him.

And, although he scrunched his nose up at the sudden stink, and even sat up straighter, he couldn't miss the sound of electricity crackling.

From above, white-hot blue bolts of lightning arced away from a singular, yet invisible point on the ceiling. An odd  _circular_ shape burned in the air.

Al's eyes widened.

_That circle-!_

Alchemy. But this Alchemy… he didn't recognize.

_Except he did._

Al threw the book down. He screwed his eyes shut as the light burned his retinas. He scrambled back into the headboard of his bed. Although Al tucked his face into his shoulder, the heat from the transmutation still bathed him.

Then, the sound of great, yet faraway doors slammed  _shut._ The sound reverberated in Al's chest and his eardrums.

Then, a body  _thumped_ onto the hard ground, narrowly missing the bed.

The heat died. The light disappeared. A groan rose from the prone form.

Al opened his eyes, and gaped in shock.

~~0~~0~~0~~

Edward's head hurt like a bitch. His ears rang, deafening any sort of noise that he may have heard.

God, and his  _back…_ did he fall on hardwood?

It took several seconds for sensation to trickle back through the limbs he had. Pins and needles pricked the tips of his flesh fingers and toes. Phantom pains shocked where his automail limbs laid prone….

_Prone._

He was lying prone. On the ground. Where  _Envy_ could crush his neck-

Wait. No. Envy. There was no Envy.

Truth had been there. His escape from those  _monsters_ had been successful… right?

_Truth._  Truth had laughed at him. Truth had pointed at the Gate.

_The Other Side._ That's what the being had said.

Because Truth had deemed him  _too weak_ to use his  _own_ Stone! The Stone  _he_ created!

Edward would have grit his jaw if it didn't cause his pounding headache to worsen.

Rather than focus on the frustration and fury boiling under his skin, Edward instead focused on the last few things Truth had said to him.

_The things about his brother._

_He yearned to see Al. Would do_ anything  _to get him back. Because Edward_ knew  _his brother wasn't dead. It wouldn't be equivalent for his brother to be dead. Because_ that thing  _they had created died. So Al couldn't be dead._

Truth  _had him._

At least, that's what Edward had thought. But he hadn't been with Truth. No. He had been….

_On The Other Side._

But where was The Other Side? The Other Side of what? The Gate? He had already  _been_ through the Gate! There hadn't been an Other Side!

At least, while wracking his mind, Edward didn't  _think_ there had been….

The sound of a bed creaking broke through the ringing in Edward's ears.

He had almost forgotten he was lying on a hardwood floor, prone, with his neck open wide for any jaws to rip his life out.

Edward tensed, or tried to. His body  _ached;_ his muscles throbbed and a sharp, tangy pain still threatened to split his head wide open. Unable to will himself to move, Edward laid limp, hoping that whatever loomed over him did  _not_ hunger for the end of his life.

~~0~~0~~0~~

Al stared. He blinked. Then, he rubbed his fingers over his eyes. He rubbed so hard, black spots danced in his vision.

When the small body lying prone in the middle of his room didn't disappear right away, Al stared some more.

Of course, the first rational thought that flickered through the young boy's mind was  _apparition gone wrong._ Because  _surely_ that was probably what this was. Someone young and stupid trying  _apparition_ without the proper guidance.

The other part of Al's mind, one not so content with easy answers, reminded him that apparition always sounded with a  _pop!_ There had been no pop.

Instead, the only sound signifying the stranger's appearance had been the grand  _bang_ of hidden, heavy doors slamming shut.

Al twitched at the mere  _memory_ of that sound. Heavy doors… banging shut….

In the back of his mind, something stirred. He struggled to grasp it, that lost memory, but as soon as Al tried, it fell back into the cracks of his mind, lost again.

Al sat up, leaning forward to get a better look at the stranger.

All his limbs seemed to be intact. No blood pooled around him. No weak groans leaked from his lips, which hung open like a dead fish's.

No splinching, which further ruled out his theory of wayward apparition.

Lastly, no wizards had popped in, declaring underage magic being performed. And apparition never came with a light show….

_Nor a transmutation circle._

Al's eyes widened. With the rational side of his mind shut down, wonder emerged.

_Impossibility isn't impossible. If there isn't a clear answer, then you aren't looking hard enough._

Alchemy. That was the answer. Alchemy.

_But Alchemy isn't possible. Not in this world…._

Al jumped off his bed. It creaked in protest as his feet landed solidly on the floor. Picking his way over to the fallen form, Al took a second to get a closer look.

The stranger was odd, but there was something… familiar about him. Al gulped.

Golden hair a few shades brighter than his own was pulled into a now messy braid that laid limply on the side of the stranger's head. His skin tone matched his own-tan, but not distinctively olive. A red coat-torn at the shoulder-laid beneath his frame. The rest of the clothes donning him were black.

Al tilted his head to the side. Those clothes were too strange to belong to, at least,  _most_ muggles… but they didn't fit a wizard's sense of style either.

An odd twitch quirked the corner's of Al's mouth upward. His heart, already beating hard in his chest, sped up more. The muscle pounded so hard against his ribs, he thought it would crack them.

His hand shook. His hand shook so hard, even curling four of his fingers into his palm didn't still the trembles. Al's knuckles shone white.

Al crouched over the prone stranger. The stranger's nostrils flared, and his chest still fell and rose with even breaths.

Besides the initial fall, it seemed the stranger wasn't harmed. Warm relief bloomed in Al's chest.

"Are- are you okay?" Al whispered. He went ahead and pressed a single index finger against the stranger's neck.

He couldn't seem to find a pulse, but Al chalked it up to not feeling the right area. After all, he was  _clearly_ breathing….

A still hand shot out. Hard- _hard?-_ fingers wrapped tight around his wrist. The firm grip didn't pain Al, however.

The stranger's lips parted, he breathed a word, but Al couldn't quite grasp what he said.

"Excuse me?" Al asked, his voice still as soft as before, despite the grip. Uncertainty fluttered in the pit of his belly, but he  _knew_ the stranger wouldn't hurt him….

Al had no rational reason as to why he thought that. Yet, in that moment, he decided to trust his gut anyways.

Rather than repeat himself, the stranger's eyes shot open. Startling molten gold met his own duller golden eyes.

Gold met gold. Both sets of eyes widened.

This time, Al recognized what the stranger said. His heart burst.

"Alphonse?"

~~0~~0~~0~~

_Next Chapter: Right Out of a Dream_

~~0~~0~~0~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are getting shorter and shorter... and oh man a cliffhanger. Oops. Heh.
> 
> Next chapter is actually much longer than the previous ones have been... Also I know this story is kinda going slow! Since the chapters are so short, I can't really say when we will be getting to Hogwarts or meeting the HP crew, but it's coming! Trust me~
> 
> Anyways, comments are always much appreciated! And as always, hit that kudos or follow if it'd please you~ Bookmarks are great too!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Right out of a Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy V-Day everyone! We all know Valentine's Day is a fake holiday, but here's an extra long chapter to celebrate it anyways.

**Chapter Four: Right out of a Dream**

Al jerked back as the stranger uttered his name. He opened his mouth, but words eluded him. Frozen in place, Al watched as the stranger forced himself to sit up.

"Al-" a groan interrupted the second utterance of his name. The stranger hung his heavy head in his left palm. "God. I feel like I got smashed in the head with a  _hammer._ So much for a happy reunion, eh?" Despite the obvious pain the stranger was in, a wide and jubilant grin stretched his cheeks. Those eyes that held such an intense gold now sparkled with clear mirth; all sharp edges softened.

"I- I'm sorry…." Al gulped. "You obviously know me, but- but who are you?" Al kept his voice schooled and polite, but on the inside, panic arose in his chest.

The stranger… he had a similar face shape as he did. Although he claimed eyes and hair several shades brighter than his own, Alphonse had to admit he had never met another with a similar hair-and-eye color to his own.

Furthermore, merely  _gazing_ at the stranger caused his heart to  _ache_ and his head to  _throb._ There was something so  _hauntingly_ familiar about the stranger. It was as if he had walked right out of one of his dreams….

The stranger frowned. Al awaited what he would say, but all that spilled from his lips was another groan.

"Oh, you're still hurt! I'm sorry… I'm just…." Al paused. What was he to say? In shock? He shook his head. "I haven't been a good host. Here, let me help you up."

The stranger allowed Al to help him up, although now instead of gazing at him with raw excitement, uncertainty and fear plagued those eyes. The stranger furrowed his brows as Al seated him on his bed.

"Al? What- what do you mean? You don't know who I am?"

An apologetic smile graced Al. "Am- am I supposed to know you…?"

"Goddammit! Fuckin'  _Truth!_ Of  _course_ he had to play me. That- that-!" The stranger grappled for a strong enough insult.

Al, again, twitched at  _that word._ He cocked his head to the side. "Why are you cursing at a concept?"

The stranger stared at him incredulously. "You- you really don't… don't remember? You lost your memories?"

Al jerked back at that, his mouth falling open.  _The stranger knew._ Adrenaline rushed through him.

"I- I don't. I don't. But- but you know. You know about the memories I lost!" Al grabbed the stranger's shoulders, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt. Unable to sit still, he vibrated in place. "You know!"

Rather than look overjoyed, the stranger appeared utterly devastated. Wide, empty eyes bored into Al's. "So… so you don't… wait, you don't remember  _me?"_ each word sounded more broken than the last.

Al tilted his head to the side. His mouth was dry.

_The stranger was important._

Silence stretched between the two. Al fiddled with his fingers. He couldn't meet the stranger's gaze, and his eyes dropped to the floorboards. "I'm sorry…."

The stranger planted his head in his hand again. His unruly golden bangs hung in his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Dammit. God- god _dammit."_

Al hesitated for another second, unsure whether or not to leave the stranger with his own thoughts or to intervene. He shifted on his feet. Then, pressing his lips into a thin line, Al crouched down, and put his hand back on the stranger's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I don't remember you. I- I don't remember much before I woke up here. In this world. I remember only a few things…." Al paused, turning over his next words in his mind, softening them as much as he could. "But… I am clearly important to you if you somehow traveled all this way to see me." A small smile quirked Al's lips. "So… what's your name? Since you already know mine." A little chuckle shook him. It lacked humor.

The stranger's shoulder shook and for a second, Al thought he was crying. However, when those eyes rose to meet his own again, they  _burned_ with an intensity Al had never seen before.

"My name is Edward Elric. And I'm your older  _brother."_

Al clasped a hand over his mouth. It took him several seconds to process what the stran- no. What  _Edward_ said.

"My… that means…." Tears welled up in Al's eyes, threatening to fall. "That means I have family… that's  _alive?"_

Edward stared at Al in shock. "Alive? What do you- Alphonse." Edward's hands-one firm and the other gentle-laid on his shoulders. His voice, stiff and uncertain, sent chills down Al's spine. "What do you remember  _exactly?"_

Al gulped at the intensity in his- his  _older brother's_ gaze. He still couldn't keep his grin off his face, even while listing out the pitiful few things he recalled.

"I- I know I am not from this world. I know about alchemy, how it works, all its theories, everyting-"

"So you weren't stripped of basic understanding and your academic knowledge…" Edward muttered, his lips twisting into a thoughtful frown.

Al nodded once. "Yeah… I suppose. I know I'm not from here. I come from… far away. A- a different world-"

"Do you know of the name of that world?" Edward asked.

Al shook his head. "No. I don't know those… finer details. I know I come from a different world, I know about alchemy. I know I had-er,  _have-_ a family." At this, Al's already broad grin widened as he drank in the sight of Edward even more. "And that's about it, really." Al fell quiet for a second. He sighed, pulled himself from his brother's grip, and sat besides him.

Staring down between his feet, Al murmured, "I didn't think I had any family left. I thought I was an orphan. I worried a lot that all these memories, all these broken pieces… were fake. But- but now  _you're_ here. It's- it's all true!"

Edward paused, staring at Al. Then, much to the younger boy's shock, Edward actually  _chuckled._ A fond, almost soft look smoothed the severe edges of his expression.

"Yeah, they're all true, Al. Alchemy, the Gate… though you don't remember that… and our family. It's all true. I- I thought I had lost you. I- I couldn't even comprehend the possibility that you- that you-" Edward gulped. He hesitated, but then reached out, and ruffled Al's hair.

A shock of warmth shot through Al at the display of familial affection. He smiled and leaned into his brother's touch.

"But you're here now. And I'm here now. And dammit, lost memories or not, you're still my brother. And I still found you."

Al shook his now mussed hair out of his eyes. "You're right, brother." The word  _brother_  felt odd on his tongue, but at the same time, too familiar. Like he had used the word many times already. "I'm glad you're here too. And- and I have a lot of questions…."

Edward burst into laughter at that. "Of course you do! I'd be surprised if you didn't, considering your memory was  _taken_ from you!"

The questions already running amuck in Al's head halted. "Wait. Taken?" Fear-a strange and  _primal_ fear-chilled him. He froze.

Seeing his expression, Edward struggled to find the proper words to appease him. "Er, well, it's just a theory, really. I don't have… exact  _proof_ of that happening. Like, maybe you just bumped your head real hard, and-"

Al's stare didn't soften, nor did he seem relieved by Edward's rambling. "Edward-"

"Ed."

Al sighed, pain stabbing his heart. "Oh. Ed. I- any theories you have for  _my_ disappearance on your side, I want to know. I want to know  _everything._ Of- of our family and my past and how I got here in the first place and-"

Edward held up a hand, stopping Al in his tracks. Al shut his mouth and stared expectantly at Edward.

"Okay. Okay, I'll tell you. But Al… it's not a happy story. Not at all. But… in return-"

Al stuck his tongue out at Edward. "Equivalent exchange?"

Edward barked another short laugh. "Yeah, exactly! In  _exchange,_ I want to hear about  _your_ life here. I- I didn't even know you were  _living._ And in a whole new world, even! Hell, I didn't even know there was an Other Side!"

Al tilted his head.  _An Other Side…._ "Alright then, brother! You tell me everything about you, and I'll let you know everything about me."

With matching nods, the two brothers clasped hands. The tears that had never left Al's eyes finally spilled over his cheeks.

And though Al  _already_ knew Edward would deny it, his own sparkling tears traced down his cheeks too.

~~0~~0~~0~~

Edward hadn't really known where to begin when it came to telling Al about  _their_ life story.

He started simple, really. He told Al of their world of Alchemy; of Amestris and of their little hometown in the east named Resembool. He talked of their mother, Trisha Elric, and how she had been the best mother in the whole world.

Well, now,  _two_ worlds.

He talked, with bitterness and fury leaking into his voice, of their father abandoning them. And then, delved into the realm of their dive into alchemy with such reverence, that Al had to remind Edward to get back on track.

After all, he remembered his studies of alchemy.

"Sorry," Edward muttered briefly, before diving right back in.

Edward couldn't help but dwell on those simple and happy years. Of them playing in the fields with their childhood best friend, Winry Rockbell, only going inside once it got dark out. He spoke of their first alchemy creations, how proud their mother was to see them so eager to please her.

He dwelled and dwelled until his heart tightened up into a tight knob and a ball of lead formed in the pit of his stomach.

Edward gulped.

"Ed? Are you tearing up?"

"Don't be stupid. I'm probably allergic to this stupid world or something." Edward scrubbed the wetness from his eyes.

With great hesitance, and with a voice carrying the weight of  _two_ worlds, Edward spoke of their mother's sickness and then, her untimely death.

Al pressed a hand over his gaping mouth. And, despite not remembering their mother, or even her death, his own tears pricked his eyes. "So our father left us… and our mother died…."

Edward hung his head so his bangs covered his eyes. "Yeah. That's it. But… but we were young. Just stupid kids. And… and we were arrogant. And we promised each other to bring her back."

Al stared at him, but not in shock. Pitiful understanding haunted those darker eyes. "Of course we did," he whispered so quietly, Edward thought he wasn't meant to hear.

Edward gritted his teeth. Rather than answer, he gave a terse nod. "That's when…  _it_ happened."

"It? You mean-"

Edward didn't allow Al to finish his thoughts. "That's when you disappeared, Al. We failed. The transmutation… it was  _missing_ something. We- we could make the body. But the  _soul-"_ Edward barked a cold laugh. He pinched the bridge of his nose, furrowing his brows. "What could anyone possibly trade for a human  _soul?"_

Al didn't have an answer. Edward didn't expect him to, as he himself lacked an answer as well.

"But I still don't get it, brother," Al murmured after a beat of terse silence. "How did I end up  _here_ then? Why are all my memories gone?"

"Because the Gate must have taken them, Al."

"The Gate?" Al's voice trembled. Edward could hear his gulp. He shuffled closer, his leg pressing against Edward's. "What's the Gate?"

"When we- when we attempted the forbidden, we were brought before the Gate. It- it was a  _rebound,_ Al. We attempted a human transmutation and didn't have enough to pay for mom's soul. So the Gate, the  _Truth,_ took your entire body as payment. And-"

Edward hesitated. He stared down at his right hand. Then, quickly, he tore his glove off his hand.

Al gasped in utter shock. "What- your limb-!"

"-it took my right arm and left leg. These- these are prosthetics called automail, Al. Do you remember anything about automail?"

Al paused, still staring at his brother's metallic right hand. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Even the  _muggle_ world didn't have something so  _advanced…._

"I don't, brother," Al said. He couldn't keep the sadness out of his voice.

Edward tightened his hand into a fist and nodded. "That's alright."

Al bit his lip. It was most certainly  _not_ alright, and although he had no memories of his and his brother's childhood together, Al still knew that Edward knew  _nothing_ was alright in that moment.

"Brother," Al eventually said. "There is something I don't quite understand. If this…  _Gate_ took my body as payment… shouldn't I be dead?"

Edward sucked in a sharp breath. Al himself felt queasy as the words left his lips. After all, thinking about the fact that he could- _should-_ be  _dead_ sent a thrill of chilly unease through him.

"I- I didn't want to think about that possibility back at home. I theorized that the Truth had somehow taken you, and- and with the  _Philosopher's Stone,_ I could bring you back. But- but I didn't think you would be  _dead…_ because a life plus an arm and a leg… that doesn't equal a  _life."_

Al sighed. "But can we say for certain a life equals another life, brother? Isn't life priceless? You just said it yourself; what can equal the price of a soul?"

Edward hesitated at that. Rather than answer him directly, he averted his gaze away. "I don't have all the answers, Al. But what I think happened is that perhaps  _you,_ before your memories were taken,  _begged_ Truth to spare your life. And maybe… it actually did so. Perhaps that's why you're here. It took your body plus my leg as payment for our failed transmutation, and in turn, it took your  _memories_ of not just the Gate, but of home as well, to spare your life and send you here."

Al sat and digested everything Edward just said. It some ways, it made sense. It made  _too_ much sense, in fact. And in other ways… he struggled to believe such a thing happened. It wasn't that he didn't  _want_ to believe his brother, because he did.

Of  _course_ he did.

"But wait, what about your arm, brother?" Al asked, after realizing Edward had left that detail out of his theory.

A bitter grimace crossed Edward. "After you were…  _taken,_ I- I tried to pull at  _least_ your soul back. I thought- I thought…." Edward gulped. "I thought I could bind it to an object, so you wouldn't be completely lost. The transmutation would have…  _should_ have worked! I don't know what happened. I guess… I was just a little too slow. I wasn't  _certain_  enough." He spat out the last few words like they were poison on his tongue. "Whatever it was, your soul didn't bind."

Al stared wide-eyed at Edward. The person who was his brother. The person who was a  _stranger._

He had no memories of Edward. He had no memories of his own  _brother._ And though with Edward's theory, it made sense that he  _didn't,_ it still didn't do much to help his current situation.

After all, a theory is just that; a theory. Edward couldn't prove it.

Edward broke the silence he created. "I guess the only way for us to know for  _sure_ is to recover your memories. But considering the Gate took them… I think you might have to sacrifice something of equal worth to get them back, Al."

Al tensed at that. Of course. Equivalent Exchange. But what could equal the price of the memories of his  _life?_

Before Al could stew in his own darkening thoughts, Edward shot an odd, but bright smile at him. "Don't worry too much about it, Al. Now that  _I'm_ here, I can help you out, and together I'm sure we'll not only recover your memories, but find a way back home! Trust me." Edward held out his fist toward him, a determined and toothy smile stretching his cheeks.

After a pause, and a grin of his own, Al tapped his fist against his brother's. "Right! Two heads are always better than one, as they say!"

"Exactly!" Edward said. His bright smile faded into something smaller, and slightly more sincere. "Now it's your turn, Al. I want to know of  _everything_ you've been up to since you've been here. What sort of world is The Other Side?"

Al released a long breath through his nose, then began.

~~0~~0~~0~~

_Next Chapter: Levitating Pigs_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been kinda slowing down with this crossover on the account of school and original stuff getting in the way (my magic system for my series is now 17 pages long... and it's not even close to being halfway done yet...)
> 
> However! We're getting there! And I know we still haven't hit the HP parts of this crossover... it's teased a bit more next chapter, but we'll be getting there soon trust me! Also, I know some of the stuff discussed in this chapter isn't 100% scientific... but in general, FMA03 was a bit more "magic-y" than Mangahood anyways soooo... also, as you can already tell, there are a few Mangahood details that will be in here! Truth is really the only major concept from Mangahood that I've taken, but a few more may creep it... but just know the characters + most the lore is gonna be from FMA03
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments are highly appreciated. Don't forget to kudos and follow if it so pleases you~


	5. Levitating Pigs

**Chapter Five: Levitating Pigs**

"I don't know exactly where to start…" Al muttered, after a long pause where he fiddled with his words.

"Start with what you remember first, Al."

Edward's surprisingly soothe and gentle voice calmed Al. Allowing his tense shoulders to fall lax and releasing yet another sigh, Al nodded. "Alright, brother."

Staring up at the ceiling, brows furrowed with focus, Al said, "well, I guess my first memory was waking up in some alleyway  _here._ We're currently located in a country called  _Germany,_ brother, which is located on a continent called  _Europe."_

Edward muttered these strange names to himself, tasting the words on his tongue. He scrunched his nose up.

"I was lucky I ended up here, actually," Al continued. "Because these people here speak a very close language to Amestrian. It's not exact… I had a lot of people ask where my accent is from." At this, Al chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just told them I'm from far away. It's not exactly a lie, isn't it?"

Edward shook his head. "Not at all, Al."

"Well, I didn't know where exactly to go. I was a 10 year old kid, didn't even have clothes on my back, and had no money or memories of how I got there either." Al shuddered at the somewhat embarrassing memory, of being so lost and confused and scared….

He pressed on. "I guess someone eventually called the police. Because next thing I knew, I was given clothes and questioned what happened to me. I told them I couldn't remember anything. I guess they were trying to find my parents, or where I came from, or anything." Al bit his lip. The chair in the station had been so  _hard…_ and he had been  _so_ tired, and yet under those bright lights with so many questions pelted at him… he hadn't slept well  _that night…._

"Al?"

Al hadn't realized he had fallen silent. He shook his head. "Oh, sorry brother…."

"It's alright." Edward placed his hand on his shoulder. "You… if it's hard to talk about, you don't-"

Al shook his head. No, if Edward could talk about the death of their mother, their  _sin,_ then he could talk about  _his_ mundane life.

"It's fine, just… trying to gather my bearings is all." Al rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Well, for obvious reasons, no one stepped up to claim me as their son. And since I had no memories and they couldn't recover them, I was sent to live here. In this orphanage." Al cast his hands out to gesture around him.

Edward's eyes widened. "An  _orphanage?!_ That's where we are? But Al-!"

Al shrugged. "The people here aren't too bad… some of the kids are kinda mean at times… but the caretakers are nice. Plus, I have a place to stay and food. I could be doing a lot worse."

"I know, but  _still."_ Edward paused and a brief silence babbled between the two. "I'm surprised you haven't been adopted yet. You- you were a great kid."

Al shrugged with one shoulder. "Well… at first I did want to be adopted. I knew, at 10, I was starting to get too old. Most parents want to adopt younger kids, after all…" Al trailed off. Despite the heaviness of the subject, he found his lips quirking up. "But then… I turned 11. And after that… I didn't care anymore."

Edward cocked his head to the side, confusion plainly written all over his face. "Huh? Why?"

Al's grin grew, his eyes sparkling with a rare mischief that he seldom got. "Because I was sent a letter by Durmstrang, one of the best Wizarding Schools in Europe.

Edward stared. Then gaped. Then stared some more.

"Wait.  _Wizarding?"_

~~0~~0~~0~~

"Bullshit! Everything you just said! It's- it's  _impossible-!"_

Al's eyes followed him as he paced around the tiny room, fuming and huffing like a beast. Edward crossed his arms tight, glaring at the four plain walls with a fiery intensity that could melt iron.

Wizards. Magic. No alchemy.  _Magic._

Edward's nostrils flared. Freezing in place, he positioned his hands together to clap.

Al tilted his head to the side, still watching him with that careful, wary gaze.

"Brother? What are you doing?"

Edward bared his teeth. He spoke through them. "You'll see." His clap resounded off the walls.

But, despite making a circle with his whole body, no energy coursed through Edward. He felt absolutely nothing.

Still, Edward planted his hands against one of the nearby walls. Wood….

_He could easily pull out a small statue of some kind._ The image that he wanted flashed in his mind. The equation, memorized to the point where it was carved into the pit of his soul, rang true.

Everything was perfect.

Nothing happened.

No energy flashed. Alchemic electricity refused to crackle. No energy coursed through him, guided by his own clever mind.

Edward merely stood there, pressing his hands against the wall. Nothing happened. He furrowed his brows, digging deeper into himself.  _Why wasn't it-_

There! In the pit of his stomach, the center of his  _self,_ he found it. Energy. But this energy… didn't feel normal.

In fact, Edward's blood ran cold.  _That_ alchemic energy… that wasn't  _his_ alchemy.

Or well, it  _was,_ in a way. That energy… the  _only_ alchemic energy he could sense inside his body… that was the  _Philosopher's Stone. His_ Stone. Edward gritted his teeth. As if he would try and prove Al wrong utilizing  _human_ lives  _he_ had taken-!

Besides, the last thing he needed was Al doubting him. After all, Al had no memories of their kinship….

Edward banished the thoughts of his new sin. Right now, he had  _other_ things to focus on. Including  _why_ his normal alchemy wasn't working!

"What the fuck." Edward dropped his arms down, clenching his hands so hard, his automail whined. "It- it's not  _working."_

Footsteps padded toward him. Al placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Edward sighed, falling lax under his brother's touch.

"I told you, brother. There is no alchemy in this world. There's magic instead. And there aren't any alchemists either. Not  _true_ alchemists. There's only wizards-"

Edward shrugged his brother off. "Just because there's no  _alchemy_ doesn't prove magic exists!" he snapped.

"I didn't say it proved it, but that's my current theory. I haven't been able to do alchemy at all since coming here. But- but I was accepted as a wizard-"

Edward flailed his hands into the air, pitching his voice, and sneering. "Oh, yes! To your crazy magic school where you make pigs fly!"

"Well, more like  _levitate_ than  _fly,_ but-"

Edward groaned and slapped a hand over his face. He shook his head.

_Magic?_

He didn't want to think such a thing existed… but then again, he didn't know another  _world_ existed beyond the Gate until just yesterday.

But- but what Al just said…  _levitating pigs._ Edward struggled to imagine such a thing be possible, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it.  _Magic._ Perhaps it was similar to alchemy?

Perhaps it was merely  _this_ world's alchemy, and thus these  _wizards_ had a different name for it. Then again, if that was the case, then wouldn't his alchemy  _work?_

Edward shifted. He felt no energy when he had tried. Well… no, not quite.

"I can prove it to you, if you still don't believe me," Al said, striding past him toward his dresser. "I have all my school supplies with me-"

"School? You're back in  _school?"_

Al shot Edward an odd, worried glance. "Yes? Do- does the other world not have school?"

Edward shook his head. "What? No, there's school! It's just… well… where we grew up, our nearby school wasn't very impressive. And we were smarter than everyone else, so we… stopped going."

Al froze where he had been taking off the secretive paneling. "Our mother let us drop out of school when we were  _children?"_

"She knew we were smarter than that! She taught us a lot! And we taught ourselves alchemy." Edward snorted. "It's not that important… I was just surprised, is all." Edward's voice softened again.

Al sighed. "Oh. I'm sorry, brother. I don't mean to doubt you…."

"I know, Al."

Gathering up his school supplies, Al motioned for Edward to join him back on the bed. "See? Here are some of my textbook." He dumped them into his lap. "These are from my first year of schooling, though."

Al glanced at the door. Although it was late into the night, trepidation still crept through his veins. After all, if someone just so happened to realize he was up and see his  _brother_ with him  _along_ with his wizarding things….

Al shuddered.

Edward flipped through one of the books Al had handed to him, snorting and shaking his head. "This is… this is all impossible!"

"I assure you its not." To further prove himself, Al pulled out his wand. "I even have a wand!"

"Al!" .

"Shhh! Brother, people are sleeping around us."

Edward shot the wand a venomous glare. "Well, if magic is real, show me some then," he hissed.

Al sighed and tucked his wand away. "I can't. People under the age of seventeen can't perform underage magic. I'd get in huge trouble."

Edward rolled his eyes at that.

"It's true! Here, just… I'm transferring schools. In two days, a representative from Hogwarts is coming to pick me up. I'm sure  _she_ could prove to you 100% that magic is real here, brother."

Edward stared at Al for a long time. Finally, he hung his head in his hands, and released a long groan.

"First, levitating pigs. Now hogs with warts. What's with wizards and pigs?"

Edward grinned into his hand as Al burst into laughter. Crazy or not, he was still his brother. And besides, perhaps…  _magic…_ wasn't what he thought it was.

_Maybe._

~~0~~0~~0~~

_Next Chapter:_ _No More Wondering_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I am actually only halfway done with chapter 7 atm. Thing is, school is ramping up again and work has been Literally Killing Me so I haven't been working on this at all? I need to re-prioritize myself again, which means chapters will probably be a bit slower! So sorry in advance!
> 
> I plan on quitting my job soon which will either mean I will have no time to write due to school and job hunting OR I will have more time to write because of job hunting. Matters on how stressed I get, tbh
> 
> Anyways! Short chapter, but some important stuff happened! We're FINALLY gearing up to see some HP characters so I hope y'all look forward to that ;) actually, I kinda wanna hear who y'all think the representative will be :> so leave a guess!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated, and don't forget to leave a kudos if it so pleases you~


	6. No More Wondering

The next two days seemed to be the longest in Edward's young life.

Between cramming as much about magic into his head via textbooks and conversing with Al to hiding from the caretakers and other children of the orphanage, Edward was sick of the tiny room he was forced to stay in. The sunlight filtered through the window and it took all of his power to not jump through it multiple times a day.

Edward sighed as he slid one of Al's second year books away from him. So far, everything he had read had been too simple or just…  _seemingly impossible._

Levitating objects. Turning matchsticks into needles. Hexes that could conjure rope. Spells that could freeze someone where they stood… the list of seemingly impossibilities was endless.

Too restless to read more, Edward instead cracked open his travel log, which thankfully passed through the Gate with him, and began sketching out various theories about the strange alchemy he found himself surrounded by.

 _Wait._ Not alchemy.  _Magic._ Edward snorted at the thought. Until he saw some magic with his own eyes, he'd keep his doubts aligned.

"-other?" A hand shook his shoulder. Blinking, Edward peeled his attention away from his log. Al stood over him, a plate of food sneaked from downstairs in his hand. Al's lips were twitched into a smile.

"Working?" he guessed, setting the plate aside on the desk and sitting besides him on the bed.

Edward sighed. "Yeah. Trying to figure out this- this  _magic thing_ is all. I know what you said, about the energy and field that  _supposedly_ surrounds us, but if magic really is just an energy field, shouldn't we be able to feel its presence? And how did that field come to be?" Edward scratched his cheek with the end of his pen. "I dunno, Al…."

Al sighed. "I don't have all the answers for you, brother. But between the two of us, I'm sure we can figure out a better explanation."

Edward nodded. "I'm guessing you haven't really been researching much about the theories of magic, have you?"

Shooting him a sheepish smile, Al shook his head. "No, not really. I've mainly been studying the brain and memories. Occlumency and Legilimency too. I think I've gotten quite good at the former too." A thoughtful look crossed his face before it disappeared as he shrugged.

"You'll have to tell me about your research later, then." Edward bookmarked the page of his book and set it to the side before grabbing the plate of food to inhale.

Al chuckled as Edward scarfed down his food. "Well, tomorrow the representative from Hogwarts is coming, brother. You can ask them all the questions I couldn't answer."

Edward grunted. "Do ya think I could join you to this warty hog place?"

"Brother! Don't talk with your mouth full!" Al said.

Edward chewed harder and swallowed thickly. "Well?"

"I don't know. Since you don't have grades to prove how much you know as a student, you'll probably have to take an entrance exam…."

Edward scrunched his nose up at that. "An entrance exam? But I just got to this crazy world!"

"I know, brother! But if anyone can do it, it's you. Besides… I know we didn't go to school as kids together… but it'd still be fun, you know?" Al stared down into his lap, at his loose hands. A soft, sad smile crossed his lips. "I've always wondered what it'd be like to have a sibling…."

Edward sighed. Setting his now empty plate to the side, he punched Al's shoulder.

"Well, you don't have to wonder anymore."

~~0~~0~~0~~

The early morning of August 18th found both Elric brothers slipping from the orphanage. The sunny tendrils of dawn barely crept across the firmament. Heavy clouds, wrung with water, hung low under the sky.

The day, dreary and damp, pierced Edward's ports. He rolled his shoulder, stretching out his automail arm as his face twisted in irritance.

"Are you okay?" Al whispered to him. Worry glimmered in his eyes.

"I'm fine. The rain and cold makes my ports ache, is all."

The worry refused to die in Al's eyes. "If you say so…."

Edward shot a reassuring smile at Al. He trailed after him, stomping through mud as they circled the orphanage, diving down between several alleyways until windows no longer hung above them. Not a single soul joined them as they stood facing a dead-end.

"This is where the representative should be appearing," Al said as Edward leaned against the brick wall.

Edward peered down the only entrance, an eyebrow cocked. "So who is this representative anyways?"

"I'm not so sure. They're from Hogwarts, however."

Edward snorted at the school's name again. "Alright." He shivered again and drew his red coat around him tighter.

Al rocked on his toes while he waited. The sky, rather than lighten with the morning's rays, darkened as more clouds gathered above them. Edward bent down to rub where his flesh leg met metal, massaging the cramps slowly creeping in. He hissed a curse.

As Edward straightened back up to ask Al how much longer they would have to wait, a  _popping_ sound broke his eardrums. Edward jumped back. Without thinking, he clapped his hands together, and pressed his left hand against his right arm.

Rather than pull a blade from his automail, nothing happened. No energy circulated through him, sparking at his fingertips. No alchemy burned through him.

However, an instinctual  _spark_ did singe him, right in the pit of his belly. Edward stiffened in surprise.  _Alchemy._

No alchemy circulated through Edward, no energy sung within his blood. Although the equation for his blade balanced in his mind, no power sparked it to life.

Except, energy  _did_ course through him. However, it didn't circulate through his whole body, as Edward was used to. No, instead, the energy sat like a rock at his center.

With adrenaline coursing through him, and his need to pull a weapon out of  _anything,_ Edward realized with horror and fascination at what he almost  _did._

He had no alchemy. Him, the "Hero of the People," a prodigy, the youngest to ever pass the State Alchemist Exam, had no alchemy.

Edward, however,  _did_ possess something special. Something he had nearly forgotten in the wake of seeing his brother again for the first time in four years.

He had a product of alchemy, the  _Philosopher's Stone._ A source of energy with countless human lives condensed in a single, small point. A source of energy only  _he,_ at the moment, could  _control._

A nearly impossible Stone doing the impossible by stubbornly existing in a world without alchemy.

Both joy and confusion ran through Edward. No alchemy really  _existed_ in this world, just magic. So, how did the Stone still exist within him? Furthermore, how did he  _feel_ it?

Even as Edward pondered the question for a half second, the initial spark of energy drained from him. Though the Stone still remained at his center, without the effort of keeping a grip on that energy and power, it slipped through Edward's grasp like sand. He gritted his teeth hard, locking his jaw up.

As his battle stance fell lax, and his hand dropped from his arm, the energy threatening to crack him open dissipated.

However, even with the heavy burden of his sin resting on his shoulders and the oddly dressed woman staring at him with hard eyes, Edward couldn't rid himself of his wild, toothy grin.

He still had alchemy. Not his own alchemy, not really. But  _still._

Edward wrote himself a mental note to test how the Stone worked later.

"-brother?" Al said, snapping Edward from his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"I- I'm fine. Wait, what just happened?"

Al chuckled while the oddly dressed woman released a long sigh through her nostrils.

Edward's grin melted into a smirk. It seemed even in this world, he graced stiff adults with headaches.

"I suppose I shall repeat myself. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress to Hogwarts. I had been expecting only one of you here this morning."

Al winced at that. "I apologize, professor. My name is Alphonse Elric." Al, always the gentleman, held his hand out for McGonagall to shake. "Not long after you sent your response to my transcript, my, uh, long-lost brother happened to track me down."

McGonagall blinked slowly at that. She raised a single brow, but her expression remained just as stern as before. "I see." Her eyes darted back to Edward. "So you are Mr. Elric as well?"

Brushing imaginary dust off his legs, Edward swaggered over to McGonagall. "Sure. Edward Elric here, older brother to Al over there." He proffered her his left hand. After a beat of hesitation, she shook his hand all the same.

"Well, then. Although it is… a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Elric," McGonagall began, peering down her pointed nose at him, "I am afraid you will have to stay-"

"Like  _hell_ I'm staying here!" Edward cut in. "I  _just_ found my brother again. I'm not going anywhere. Besides, he was telling me there's entrance exams to this pig school, isn't there?"

"Brother!  _Hogwarts."_

Edward waved a lackadaisical hand at Al.

McGonagall openly stared at Edward. Her shrewd eyes struggled to pick him apart.

Edward grimaced right back. He  _doubted_ she'd be able to guess that he came from an  _entirely different world._ After all, the thought of alternate dimensions didn't  _just_ cross people's minds like that. Right?

Still, he held himself straight, shoulders back, arms crossed, with a defiant tilt to his chin.

"It is true that there are indeed entrance exams to get into Hogwarts for older students," McGonagall said. "However, there are other matters that need to be attended to first. We will be needing identification, Mr. Elric, to test your magicality, and  _then_ you must fill out several forms for us."

McGonagall didn't notice Al  _pale_ at the word  _identification._ Edward, however,  _relaxed._ A lazy grin stretched his cheeks.

"That will be no problem at all…  _professor,"_ he said. "Just let me know what exactly you need and I promise I'll get it to ya."

If McGonagall seemed bothered by his lack of care she didn't show it. Instead, she nodded stiffly at him.

"There is one… test… you can take right now," she said. "It is merely for formality. Since I assume you, like Mr. Alphonse Elric, are an orphan, I will be needing to check to make sure you have the gift of magic."

Edward's eyes glimmered with intensity as she withdrew her wand. His eyes never left that rather underwhelming stick.

As Edward catalogued an adept enough description for the magic stick she held, McGonagall bopped it once on the very top of his head.

"Hey!" Edward cried, covering his head with both hands. Although it hardly  _hurt,_ it did give him a surprise. The sensation of an egg being cracked on top of his head ran through him. Shivers danced down his spine. Edward shuddered.

Al and McGonagall watched as a brilliant, incandescent golden light envelop all of Edward save for his right arm and left leg.

McGonagall tilted her head to the side at the odd display, her mouth pursed in a tight line and her eyes narrowed. Nevertheless, she said, "Congratulations, Mr. Elric. You are indeed proven to be a wizard."

~~0~~0~~0~~

_Next Chapter: Don't Tell Him He's in a Different Country_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a while since school is... really ramping up. I got finals in a couple of weeks and plan on working two jobs during the summer so ouch. I'll try and work on this fic when I can, but my original fiction must always come first. This is merely a retreat from that!
> 
> Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I promise there will be wand-trying-and-buying in the next chapter. A scene where Ed gets his wand is pretty much mandatory in all FMA/HP crossovers, no? Also, thank you to all the sweet comments. I promise I am reading them even if I don't always respond. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated and don't forget to bookmark or subscribe if it so pleases you~

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo! I wasn't really planning on writing another FMA/HP crossover... or well, a new multichaptered fanfiction in general! But I got some Ideas and Started Thinking and you know how bad Thinking can be. I ended up scribbling stuff down... and now I have an entire outline for this fic, a general direction, and a general ending already planned out. As you do. Now I just got to write the damn thing.
> 
> If I am being honest, this entire fic is super self-indulgent on my part. It's also a writing exercise that I am doing.
> 
> See, thing is, I tend to be an overwriter, which means I tend to overwrite scenes and make them a lot longer than they have to be. Case in point is my contemporary novel I am trying to write. In The Industry, contemporary novels are usually around 350 pages long... sometimes 400. Now, while writing the first draft of my novel, the first 13 chapters (out of (now) 39...) turned out to be over 150 pages long, which is almost half the word count of a typical contemporary. Of course, word count shouldn't matter... except if you're a debut author in The Industry it kinda does. Word count is important in the sense of "is what you're writing important? Does every word have some sort of meaning to the story?" And I can write an entire essay on word count, and I am not going to. My point is, I tend to overwrite. Badly. It's a bad habit. I have a lot of bad writing habits. This story is going to be me trying to break these habits!
> 
> Which means: Short chapters (Like, less than 3,000 words long), less dialogue tags, less wordy sentences, and a slightly modified style to try and retain my usual flowery-ness I have. (and keep myself out of purple prose... I don't want to fall into that hellhole!) among other things! I am trying to improve my writing and break it into the bare bones of what it is.
> 
> Another reason why I decided to write this is, of course, that sweet sweet sense of Validation only strangers on the internet can give you. I like sharing my writing with people and like people telling me they like what I got and want more. I'm selfish like that, what can I say?
> 
> Anyways, this is (probably) going to be the longest A/N of this dumb fic. If you have any questions or concerns, just ask!
> 
> Thank y'all for suffering through this lengthy A/N! And thank you for reading this short, first chapter! I already have some chapters typed up, so I will try and post a chapter every time I get two new chapters written up. That way, I can stay a couple chapters ahead of what's posted just in case.
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. And although I will never hold fics hostage for either... they do make me wanna write more. Just sayin'!


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